so I did a sound test today and hooked everything up... Sound is very much ok but I noticed when I put the preamp in the splawn return fx loop jack my front panel volume controls do nothing (splawn doesn't have an overall master volume and mine is an older one so it doesn't has the fx volume pot). I need to set the volume with the output on my studio preamp...I am thinking that is probably because the volume control of the splawn is located in the preamp section rather than the power amp section of the amp?

If I drive the output of my preamp high/hot in the fx return I should be safe? Nothing can explode lol ?

so I did a sound test today and hooked everything up... Sound is very much ok but I noticed when I put the preamp in the splawn return fx loop jack my front panel volume controls do nothing (splawn doesn't have an overall master volume and mine is an older one so it doesn't has the fx volume pot). I need to set the volume with the output on my studio preamp...I am thinking that is probably because the volume control of the splawn is located in the preamp section rather than the power amp section of the amp?

If I drive the output of my preamp high/hot in the fx return I should be safe? Nothing can explode lol ?

thanks

Yes, the volume on your Splawn is probably at the beginning of the circuit, which means you're coming in after it when you patch into the effects loop. The power amp is basically running full tilt all the time, so controlling overall level with the SP is the right thing to do, and no, you can't damage anything by doing this.

I am going to pick up a mesa simul 295 this weekend nearby. This will be a better combination than slaving the preamp through my fx loop. Anything I should keep an eye on these older units besides tube life?

Something of that era will be approaching the age where it would benefit from a recap job, if it's not there already, so there is some potential maintenance to consider. It's the case with anything that's getting around 30 years old. I never worried about that with my 395 though, and it was a monster.